A Wilted Pine-Tree
by wgnome
Summary: In which one day, the bite of a venomous snake separates the two immortal buddies, Apollo and Thalia Grace. "It's not the first death he witnessed, and surely nothing he can do to make it the last." Here is to those who are left behind.


There may be blank gaps in the story, as this drabble is originally written as a prompt for my roleplay at eathaikus,tumblr,com/post/32724785932/a-wilted-pine-tree. The gaps are part of the inside information between me and my partner. But you can always contact me to elaborate, if you are really, really curious. And of course, if anyone reads this.

**Prompt: "Mourn me and I'll write about my character(Apollo) mourning your character's(Thalia Grace) death"**  
Credits to Rick Riordan's 'Percy Jackson and The Olympians' for the inspirational characters and amazing story, cheers.

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_Lyf shuqs_. Where on Gaias' womb is that annoying daughter of Zeus that always flinches whenever he poked her? Apollo leans lazily on his throne, manicuring his fingernails as he thinks of the bizarre possibilities of annoying demigods. Here's a teaser: … Put a male demigod in Artemis and the Huntress's territory for a day and watch them suffer under Artemis's bos-(CENSORED BY ARTEMIS)

"Lord Apollo!" A girl in a piece of fluttering purple dress sprints towards him, the arrows and bows that slung over her shoulder shook. From her general appearance, she is one of Artemis's huntress. Surprised, since hardly ever Artemis's huntresses will approach him. Usually, it'd be Apollo the one who is approaching. Suppose today it's his lucky day?

Apollo already had a godly pen in his pen, ready to sign his autograph on the child's notebook/shirt/back whatever.

"Autograph, demigod?" Apollo asked with a triumphant grin.

"No, sir." She rolled her eyes, blushing. "Not today anyway, and of course not in the sight of Artemis. I'll lose my position by that, sir. Not only I don't have the equipment for you to sign, I'm also in a hurry and wishing you, sir Lord Apollo, would help."

Apollo let a little 'tsk' before proceeding. "If not that, what seems to be the hurry, child?" He asked.

"It's Thalia! Thalia Grace! She's injured, and Artemis sent me to ask you to heal her!"

"What? That Thalia Grace? What is the cause?" Apollo asked in urgency.

"Venom bite. Poisonous venom. Deadly."

"Hurry then. Lead me there."

Nothing runs in his head except the face of Thalia Grace. It made Apollo hate the fragility of a mortal's short life that are easily crumbled like sandcastle among the edges of waves. Apollo loved intimation but hated affection. Especially to mortals as they die early, and leave the immortals left to mourn her.

The couple dart past tree to tree, with no sign of Artemis and her huntresses until what seems like hours to Apollo. The team rounds up in a circle, all the heads of the huntresses, but none significantly as Thalia Grace's head (that in some weird sense, makes Apollo want to poke it) The girl called out to her team, calling "Apollo is here! Apollo is here! He can save her!" she said. But there are no hopeful glances as they turn towards the girl and the arm of Apollo that she hold.

The huntresses move back for a path for Apollo and the girl, in the center he finds Thalia, fast asleep in Artemis's arms.

"She's dead," Her voice is subtle, but calm, and looks squarely into Apollo's eyes. "It's too late."

He drops down to his knees. As Apollo's eyes gaze wide, staring the body of Thalia Grace, his knees fell to the ground. She's dead and gone, but her body shows no signs of death, only a child who has simply fallen asleep by counting the stars.

If Apollo came a bit earlier, perhaps the death of blood mortal sister will not happen. Apollo returns to his senses, he bends down and stroke the forehead of Thalia. Stopping abruptly, Apollo repels, knowing that no matter how he stroke, a dead mortal's body cannot simply be revived. He pulls himself up. It's not the first death he witnessed, and surely nothing he can do to make it the last.

Apollo did not move.

Artemis, her arms still lie the corpse, passes orders to prepare the funeral bed of the dead child. The huntresses are making their move. Some are gathering leaves, branches, flowers, Thalia's belongings, and some keep watch of the corpse with Artemis.

Apollo did not move.

The bed of Thalia Grace is slowly forming due to the coordination of the huntresses. Leaves and flowers are stack on a boat that Artemis has brought along. And as gently as they can, Artemis lifts Thalia into the middle of the bed. The other huntresses continue to place flowers over her, or making little sobs next to the dead body. Artemis's walks to Apollo in solemnity.

She lays a hand on Apollo's shoulder in empathy, but Apollo did not take it that way, as he did not connect with her through eye contact, but shrugs her hand off instead. "Get a grip, Apollo." She demands in a whisper by his ear. Something ticks in his mind.

He is been reckless. Too emotional for his own good. And as Apollo's twin sister, Artemis knows, that Apollo is having attachments on a mortal being. Yes, Artemis is right. He needs to get a grip. He tosses a glance back, and smiled. And then is how Apollo was thankful to his mother Leto, for not allowing Apollo to be single child, and let him have a twin, for he really doesn't know what do without Artemis.

A look back, the huntresses are now all waiting. One or two still have their eyes swollen by tears, but they are ready to let go, and Apollo is too. Yet it still hurts. It will always hurt, like Hyacinth and Daphne and many others.

He plants a kiss on his finger and to Thalia's forehead as a blessing to her for the afterlife, and mumbles a silent goodbye. With a push, the boat of Thalia Grace's corpse floats away.

"Let the child to join her love that has passed." Artemis says.

Everyone wonder why she says that, even Apollo, but Artemis didn't elaborate further.


End file.
